How the London Naval Treaty defined little ships

Article 8 of the 1930 London Naval Treaty defined the legal space occupied by minesweepers, patrol craft, motor torpedo boats, and related small combatants. Vessels at or below 600 tons escaped numerical and armament limits, while ships up to 2,000 tons remained exempt only if they stayed within strict gun, torpedo, and speed conditions. Those thresholds made small craft attractive without consuming a navy's destroyer or cruiser allowance. Leading powers helped write the rules around their own plans, so apparent compliance could reflect influence over the treaty rather than passive acceptance of restriction. Treaty law therefore shaped force structure as well as individual ship measurements.